May 29, 2013

Entry 27: The FUCKING Cloud

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

I made my way back to the main Villa area with God. I was thinking about leaving him in the Fountain and take the ghoul, Dean, with me, to get to know him better and help me grab "Collar 12". Also, God was killing me with his eternal mumbling about me and also about Dog.

So I got to the Fountain and talked to Dean, to know him better. As I said. I asked him if he knew of any people who had tried to take on Sierra Madre before. He said many tourist have and all left or died from the Cloud, the traps, the Ghost People or from the greed. Meaning they killed each others for whatever is inside the damned building. We talked a lot about the locals, the Ghost People. He told me what I already knew, but in detail. They can't be killed unless parted away from their limbs. They aren't even... Alive. Good. No remorse then. He also told me that the Cloud Residue I had been finding could be used for survival. He had a special drink called Sierra Madre Martini, for instance. Don't know if I'll be trying it, though.

I asked Dean to come with me and told God to wait by the Fountain. He seemed... Sadder than I'd expect. I told him we'd try to be quick. Dean led me to the Medical District, where Collar 12 was. Once we got there, Elijah told me there were speakers which emitted a signal that could cause my collar to blow. There were normal ones and regular ones, these last ones which could be destroyed. I couldn't turn them off though, like at the Police Station with the radios. Shit. I saw the first one like fice steps in and our collars started beeping. Grabbed the rifle Elijah gave me and used it to shoot the first bright thing I saw. It worked, the beeping had stopped.

We eventually made our way into the Clinic. Elijah warned me about "Security Holograms". Jesus Christ what is wrong with this place?! There was a terminal by the door that I used to know that Hologram emmiters could be destroyed. And I also could switch the holograms between the Second and First floor. Inside the clinic there were speakers I could not destroy, so I had to be quick.

On the Second Floor we found the first Security Hologram. As he was walking towards us I found the emmiter and shot it with Elijah's gun. The hologram disappeared. Didn't take me long after that to find the basement key in one of the desk's drawers. And so into the basement I went. In there I disabled the power. That would prevent those blasted speakers from killing us all. Then all I had to do was find Collar 12.

And so I found her. Christine, she was on one of the Auto-Docs, the ones I could not access because f the damned speakers. She was bald and scarred all over her head. When she stepped out the Auto-Doc she looked disoriented, didn't know what happened and didn't speak. I asked her she was alright and she still didn't speak, only pointed to a scar on her neck. She didn't know what her collar was. I told her they were bomb collars and that we were in this together. She seemed to be wanting something when I told her to come with me, but I couldn't really tell what... It's hard to talk with someone who doesn't know how to. I told her we had to go to the Fountain and she went out running, without waiting for me and Dean. So we ran too.

We got to the Fountain and... I had my team, at last. Time to speak to Elijah.

He wanted me to trigger the Gala Event, which would open the Sierra Madre Casino's doors. The event was a Pre-War festival to mark the opening of the Casino and only then would the doors unlock. The four of us would be needed. He gave me the positions where each of them should stay and I had to get them there. First up was God.

Of course, the bastard didn't want to come. Told me he wasn't Dog. I had it with him and played Elijah's recording, so Dog came out. He told me I was mean to him, but I didn't know anything about it so I ignored it. Told him we had to get to his Gala Event position. He didn't seem so bad as God made it look like. But he was kind of... scaredy, for my surprise. Either that or his end of the job was really hard, because he didn't want to go to his position. But I told him it was his Master's orders, so he decided to come along.

We had to go to a part of town called "Salida del Sol", "Sunrise", in english. Elijah told me it was more dangerous and so it seemed. The place was darker and right from the start we were attacked by three of those undead dudes. At least I was getting pretty good at throwing spears...

On one of the houses I entered was a terminal that I hacked and used to shut off the speakers. I hadn't found any untill then, but if I did they weren't going to be a bother. After a little while we found the place where Dog was supposed to stay. It was a Switching Station, with several switches to re-route power. But when we got there Dog tells me he doesn't want to be there because it feels too much like a cage. God (not the Mutant) damn it... So I tried God... I played God's recording and they switched personalities. God asked me what was he supposed to do and I told him I needed him to operate the switches for the Gala Event. He didn't want to, of course. So I bluffed and told him I could always teach Dog how to operate them. Fortunatly God did not know Dog had already refused. So that was one job done.

I quickly got out of the Salida del Sol place. Literally ran. The place gave me the creeps! Actually, the whole Villa did!

Next up was Dean and I had to take him to Puesta del Sol (Sunset), to a roof. I told him about the Event. He knew all about it. Actually, knew too much. He told me that the Gala Event would drain the Casino's energy, making it impossible to leave. I thought for a moment, but there was nothing I could do. So I told him his job. He didn't like (everyone seems to disagree with everything, sheesh) because the place was swarmed by the Ghost People and there was no way he'd stay there alone. I asked him what did he thought Elijah want him there for. He said he was the "odd man out", the dead weight. Probably bait. Please no...

Puesta del Sol was bigger than Salida del Sol. We roamed through it all and we still had to go to another area, the south part, where Dean would stay. We got to the roof and Elijah contacted me, telling me to make Dean stay there. I guess he did know it wasn't a job to be accepted lightly. At almost the same time Dean asked me if he was supposed to stay there and connect the electrical wires, making the music systems work. I told him that if that was what it took to make the Gala Event happen, then yes, that was it. He was rightiously afraid of the Ghost People. Once he connected the cables they would be attracted by the music and get to him. I told him I wouldn't let any harm come to him. He still didn't want to do it. I... I understood him, but damn it, why was it so hard. Why was I being made to do this?! I asked him if he wanted me to clear every Ghost People in the area. That would keep him safe, right? Fuck no. He didn't want to. Then I remembered the Holograms. I could make them protect Dean. And the Ghost People aren't bright, they would continuesly try to attack the Holograms and that might just do it. So I went for it, I was pretty sure that findind whatever terminals controlled the things I would be able to hack them and use them in our favor.

One of the terminals was in the building right besides ours. The other one was a little trickier, had to move around a lot through the collapsed buildings. But we amde it and I used the terminal to activate the Security Hologram. He then told me he still wasn't sure, but there I had it. I grabbed his shoulders and told him my life was on the line too. I wouldn't risk his life, since it would mean my death. That assured him he would be safe. Thank God (not the Mutant).

And so I ran once again. Poor Christine was all alone too. But I went back to the Fountain as fast as I could.

Once I got there she tried to communicate with me. Finally I understood. She tried to tell me that Elijah was communicating with me by connecting a Pip-Boy of his own to the Fountain's Hologram Projector. So he should be close. I ask her if she knew where and she seemed to ask to analyze my Pip-Boy. So I let her. I usually don't trust people this easily. I'm telling you, those bullets Benny shot gave me brain damage. But she only pointed to where ELijah wanted me to take her in the first place. Oh well, we'll figure it out eventually.

Back to Puesta del Sol I went, this time to the Switching Station. Said Station was guarded by the Cloud. There was no way around that I could see though, so we had to go through it. Held my breath and ran up a flight of stairs. It only took a second to get through, but I felt 20 years older when I got out. Couldn't stop coughing. Inside, the Station did not have power. For fuck's sake, there always has to be a problem! I had to find fuses to fix the electric box. And the location that Christine led me to was flooded by the Cloud. I was afraid of that fucking thing. Still, think I rather cough up a lung and a half that have my head blown off by a crazed old guy.

Jesus fucking Christ, everytime I breathe I feel every something slashing my lungs, tearing them apart in every direction. Well, could fix the electric box though... Oh God (not the Mutant), it still hurts. I... I have to lay down. I don't care if it's in the ground, I just have to take a break... I'll talk to you later, ma, pa...